Hat-box.



.No. 655,019, Patented July 3|, I900.

T. F. W. SCHMIDT.

HAT' BOX.

(Application filegi Sept. 27, 1897.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

areas $0 PMoTo-ungm wAsnmu'ron, '0. z;

No. 655,019. Patented July 3|, I900.

T. F. w. SCHMIIDT.

HAT BOX.

(Application filed. Sept. 27', 1897.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shaat 2.

. Patented July 3|, I900.

3 i B e h s 8 .I e B h s 3 m T 8 D 1 M HXM. c0 SUM m A F M P T W No. 655,0l9.

(No Model.)

UNITED' STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE 1 W.,SOHMIDT, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, AssieNon or ONE- HALF'TO THE J. W. SEFTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or SAME HAT-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of iitte'rs Patent No. 655,019, dated July 31, 1900. Application flied September 27, 1897 Serial No. 653,186. (No model.)

' To (0Z5 whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, THEODORE F. W.

SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, re-

My invention relates more particularly to pasteboard boxes of that class which are used by milliners for delivering I and shipping ladies hats and bonnets, such boxes being usually about cubiform in shape and having shallow removable lids.

My invention has for its object the provis'ion of a collapsible box of this character, which may be pressed out fiat, so as to permit a large number of empty boxes to. be stored or shipped in compact form, and which may be very easily and quickly opened out into box form and which when so opened out into form shall be substantially the same in Lappearance and in fact as the usual non-collap s'ible boxes of this character, the latter being considered by the trade m uch more preferable than any collapsible boxes which have heretofore been devised, but being objectionable on account of the large amount of space required for storing or shipping them, as well as on account of their greater cost.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents one of my new boxes inbox form and with its lid in place and secured by the tape-handlepFig. 2, a verticalcross-section through the middle of the box; 3, an inside top View of the box with its bottom closed ready to receive the intended contents of the box; Fig. 4, a corresponding view with the flaps forming the bottom of the box turned upward in position to permit the box to be collapsed or pressed'out fiat for storage or shipment Fig. 5, a view of the under side of the box with the bottom fiapsclosed and Fig. 6, a corresponding view with the bottom flaps bent upward, as in Fig, 4.

' The same letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in the several views. The four sides and bottom of the box are pre'ferablyformed from a single sheet of heavy paper or pasteboard, but may be formed of separate pieces glued together without departing from my invention. The four vertical corners of the body of the box form flexible or hinged joints connecting the four sides of the box, so that when the bottom flaps are in proper position for the purpose two diagonallyopposite corners may be pulled in oppositedirections and the box extended until the other two diagonally-opposite corners come together, bringing the four sides of the box into extended fiat condition. This will be readily understood by assuming that the box had no bottom to interfere with such collapsing of the sides upon each other.

The bottom of the box consists of four flaps,

of which two, A and B, are hinged, respectively, to the lower edges of the sides A B,

.while the other two, CD, are hinged, respectively, to the lower edges of the two sides or ends 0 D. Each of the flaps A and B is .more than half the size of the bottom of the box, so that when they are bent downward to horizontal position they will overlap each.

their outer edges, Fig. 5. The corners at the opposite ends of the flaps O D are also preferably cut away diagonally, since they are unnecessary. The flaps C D constitute the bottom ones of the four flaps forming the bottom of the box, being the ones first bent down ward to horizontal position, and the flaps A B being then bent downward upon them.

It will be readily understood without further description or explanation that when the flaps A B are bent upward against the side walls A B of the box and the flaps O D bent upward against the side or end walls 0 D of the box, as in Figs. 4 and 6, said flaps present no obstruction to the collapsing of thebox in the manner heretofore described, which may be accomplished by pulling either ofthe two diagonally-opposite corners of the box in opposite directions. It therefore remains only to describe how the flaps are bent downward contents of the box.

to horizontal position in bringing 116 001? lapsed box into shapeforuse and how-the four flaps forming the, bottom are secured together and held in position to support the The means employed forthese-purposes consists of along tape- E, whiChiS passed' through a slit Finthe mid wall D of the box near the upper edge of said wall, thence downward along the inner side of said wall, thence outward through a slit G to the outer side of said wall, thence arohnd the lowercorner of the box and inward toward the middle thereof beneath the inner edge of the flap-D, Figs.- 2 and 5, thence up-- 1 5 ward through coincident slits Hin the overlapped edges of the flaps A B, thence onward across the upper side of the flap A to a point adjacent the inner edge ofithe flap 0, thence downwardthrough coincident slits I in-the 2o overlapped edges of the flaps A B, thence on:

wardaround the corner of the box and upl-i wardjalong, the outer side of the endwall C oflth'e-box toa slit J in said wall, thence throughsaid slit and upward along the inner sideeof saidlwall'to a slit K in said wall near irsnpper edge and corresponding to the slit Fin the opposite wall D", and thence outward throughsaidslit K. The two opposite ends of the tape E are thus left free, and the tape a is of s uch le'ngth that when. the bottom of the box' isclosed, as inFigs. 2, 3, 5, and 6, the

opposite ends'of the tape extend a considerable distance, from eachside ofthe box.

Withthe bottom of the box closed, if it be,

desiredito collapse the box for shipmentp or. *stora'ge it is only necessary to pull the bottom-flaps'A'Band O'D upward to vertical position'againstthe side walls ACE and O D, as-inFigs. 4' and 6. This upward movement 4oofi'thetW0 fiaps will draw-the opposite ends 1 ofth e' tapeEIinward into the box to accommodatesuch movement of the flaps, and to close thejbottoin again it is only necessary to draw-outward'the opposite endsof the tape 45.. until the-partsare againbrought to the posi-' tion shown in Figs. 2,13,1and 5, inwhichpo: sition of the partsthe tape servestosecure the .bottomrflaps together and support them. in positionto receivethe-conten-ts of'the box- 5 Whenthelid I; is placed upon the box, the, opposite endsof the tape E will be tied across,

its topto hold-it in place, and, also serveas a handleflb'y'which the boxmayble carried, andjin thiscondition the weight of the con:

5 5 tents of'the; box upon the bottom thereotwill befirmly supported by the tape, If desired,

the tapeomaybeof sufficient length to permit. itsopposite endsto be crossed at themiddle ofthetop of the lid and carried thence ati 6o rightangles-around the box and tied together.

blcorners, which. will permit thenarrow sides-or. edges of .thelid Ito bebent down, flat;

upon: thebodythereof; so that therlids as. well I;

-ofthe-four sides of the box are provided with extensions or flaps a, which are bent inward anddownwardand pasted to the inner faces .ofIthe sides of the boxito complete thelfinish andreinforcethe upper edges of the box; but this has nothing to do with my present invention and is no more essential in my new box than in any other box of this general character. It will also be noticed from Figs. 2, 5, and 6 that the four flaps A B G D, forming Fthe bottom ofth-e box, are not hi nged directly ;to =-the lower edges-of the four sides of the box and do not extend directly inward therefrom; but that, on the contrary, eachof said flaps is. providedwith acrease ba short distance' ;above the. lower edges of the sides of .thehox, iandtheportionsiof' the flaps-below these. icreases arepasted to the innerfifaces ofthe isidewallsgogt' the box alongtheirloweredges. jIn' bending upward or downward to vertical ;or horizontal position thefl'aps forming the.

;bottom of the box aretherefore hinged alongv ithe creases b. This constructionreinforces.

,i he lower edges of the side walls of thejbox Land also serves to support thebottom of'the .box some distance above the lower edgesof the side walls thereof, andthus preventslitpfrom- Testing-directly upon anysurfacenpon which.

ithe box may be set. This is particularlyadzvantageous in the delivery-or. shipment'of' i l i l i l i i ifiaps hinged thereto andfolding upward with:

iinthe sides when the box'is tobe collapsedgand the tape passed 'throu ghthet wo opppsitelsides.

ofithebox and througheach of itwooflthehot-i tom flapsthe'reofiattwo pointsandextending. across the other two flaps and'servingtosupe port the bottom flaps whenbent down to close.

the .box'preparatory to collapsing the latter, substantially as, described. l 2-1 .The herein: described collapsibleihox,

the boxa'nd .th'roughleach of the .two. overlap? extendingacross the bottom ofthe boxparah box-but permittin'gl them tobe bent ,to..posi=' stantially as described."

1 The herein -described' collapsible. box, ;composed of. the ,four sides, the four. bottom.

the bottom ofthe boxblutpermittin'g. said' fliapsmtobebent lupwardragainst the sides ;of

composed, of "the-four. sides,'.the, four biottom. flaps'h'inged thereto andftwo offwhich' overlap; each other across themiddle of .the box, and the tape passed through twooppositeside'sof:

pingbottom ,fiaps thereof lat .two:points.and

lel with. the .overlapping edges. of .said'lflaps said tape serving tov support thebbttomflaps when in position toclose iihQbOiiilOmDf-fthfi tion, to permit the box .to be collapsed; subs.

.3, The hereindescribed collapsibleibox,

composed of the four sides, the four bottom flaps hinged thereto and folding upward within the sides when the box is to be collapsed and two of said flaps overlapping each other across the middle of the box, and the tape passed downward along the middle of one side of the box, thence across the bottom of the box through the two overlapping bottom flaps and parallelwith the overlapping edges thereof, and thence upward along the middle of the opposite side of the box, said tape serving to hold the inside bottom flaps from inward movement and the outside bottom flaps from outward movement but permitting said.

flaps to be bent upward against the sides of the box preparatory to collapsing the latter, substantially as described.

4. The herein-described collapsible box, composed of the four sides, the two narrow bottom flaps hinged to two of the opposite sides and the two wide bottom flaps hinged to the other two opposite sides and overlap ping each other across the middle of the bottom of the box and above the two narrow flaps when the flaps are in condition to close the bottom of the box, and the tape passed downward along the middle of the side of the box having one of the narrow flaps hinged to it, thence inward beneath such flap, thence upward through coincident slits in the overlapping wide flaps, thence onward parallel with the edges of said overlapping flaps and downward through coincident slits therein, thence onward beneath the narrow flap hinged to the opposite side of the box, and thence upward along the middle of said side, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The herein-de'scribed collapsible box,

composed of the four sides A B O D, the two narrow bottom flaps 0 D hinged ,to the opposite sides 0 D and the two wide bottom flaps A B hinged to the opposite sides A B and overlapping each other across the middle of the bottom of the box above the flaps O D,

when the bottom of the box is closed, and the tape E passed downward through the slits F G in the side D, thence across the middle of the bottom of the box beneath the flaps D and O and through coincident slits H I in the overlapping .flaps Aand B, and thence upward through the slits J K in the side 0, sub-' stantially as described.

6. The herein-described collapsible box, composed of the four sides A B C D, the bottom flaps A B O D formed integral with the respective sides of the box at their lower edges and bent upward and permanently secured to the inner faces of said sides beneath the creases b in said flaps, said flaps hinging along said creases when bent upward or downward, and the tape E passed through the sides 0 D and each of the bottom flaps A B of the box at two points and extending across the other two flaps, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The herein-described paper box formed from a single blank composed of the four sides A B O D, and the four bottom flaps A B C D bent upward against the inner faces of the sides of the box and provided with the creases b, the portions of the flaps beneath said creases being firmly secured to the vertical sides of the box and the flaps hinging along said creases as they are bent upward to vertical position or downward to close the bottom of the box, substantially as described.

8. The herein-described box, comprising four sides, four bottom flaps hinged thereto and foldable upward within the box, and a tape passed through two opposite sides of the 

